


can i ask you a gay question?

by Masterofkarate



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Coming Out, Love Confessions, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Charlie, charlie said trans rights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23454685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masterofkarate/pseuds/Masterofkarate
Summary: Charlie asks Mac a "gay" question (since Mac has gay knowledge now that he's gay).----“Do you really have all this secret gay knowledge like Dee said?”“No, we just established that-”“Yeah, yeah, okay, it was rude, but like, you know more than like me? Right?”“Well, yes, Charlie. I don’t hang out in the sewers and under bridges, I’m more cultured than you,” Mac huffed.“Whatever, whatever,” Charlie grumbled. “So like, can I ask you a gay question?"---
Relationships: Charlie Kelly/Mac McDonald
Comments: 14
Kudos: 96





	can i ask you a gay question?

“I don’t know, ask Mac,” Dee huffed at Frank.

“Ask Mac what?”

“I saw some news about the Kardashian broads on the T.V.-” Frank started.

“Wait, wait, wait, why would I know anything about-”

“Because of Caitlyn,” Dee interrupted.

“Caitlyn?” Mac asked. 

“Jenner.” Dee answered. “You know, you’re our gay guy, you know all the LGBT stuff we need to know.”

“Deeandra!” Mac gasped. “I am appalled.” 

“Appalled? At me? Are you kidding?”

“Oh you’re definitely in the wrong, Dee,” Dennis agreed. “Highly offensive stereotyping.”

“Oh, no, no, no, I wasn’t being-”

Charlie zoned out as the voices rose. He wasn’t particularly interested in their argument, he was hoping it wouldn’t last all day. He nodded in agreement with Dee at first because he wanted her to stop talking, but then he realized Dennis had some candy so he flipped to Dennis’ side. 

He started listening to real life and not his own thoughts again when the front door slammed shut. Dennis and Dee were out on the town doing some bullshit. Frank was on the pool table, talking loudly on the phone. It was a pretty crude conversation, Charlie was pretty sure Frank was talking to Artemis. Mac was sitting on the bar stool in front of him, looking off into the distance with a confused face.

“Hey, dude,” Charlie said, leaning forward on the beer cooler. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, what’s up?” Mac asked, snapping out of his own concentrated thought.

“Do you really have all this secret gay knowledge like Dee said?”

“No, we just established that-”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, it was rude, but like, you know more than like me? Right?”

“Well, yes, Charlie. I don’t hang out in the sewers and under bridges, I’m more cultured than you,” Mac huffed.

“Whatever, whatever,” Charlie grumbled. “So like, can I ask you a gay question?”

“Why not?” Mac shrugged. He wasn’t even really that offended by Dee’s original assumption, he just didn’t feel like having the first conversation they were having. 

“Okay, so like, because gender’s like really weird and stuff because you don’t  _ have  _ to be a boy  **or** a girl anymore, you can be, just like, whatever, right?” Charlie paused and looked over at Mac, who looked a little lost but nodded for Charlie to continue. “Okay, so like, if somebody is like, hey I wanna be  _ whatever  _ not a boy or a girl, then like, they can like whoever they want and not be gay or straight, right?”

“What the shit, Charlie?” Mac asked after letting the confusing jumble of words sit in the air for a long moment.

“Like, okay, so like, me, I don’t really know if I’m a dude. Like, I don’t wanna be a chick, no way, but it’d be cool if I were like, not a man either, you know man?” Charlie asked. “And so, like am I even straight then? ‘Cause I love the waitress, but I’m not a boy.”

“Holy shit, Charlie, are you like coming out to me right now?”

“No, whatever, maybe, just shut up,” Charlie huffed. Their whole face was red and their brows were drawn with exaggerated frustration. They ran one hand through their hair, leaving it in a raised mess. “But like, no, I’m not coming out, because you don’t have to come out if you wanna just be like… in the middle. You can just decide you’re gonna, you know?”

“Um, I don’t really get that logic, but I guess-”

“But if me liking dudes also, not just the waitress, if that makes me bi or gay or whatever, then I think I am coming out to you.”

“Wait, what?” Mac asked, eyes wide, he put his hand on his chest to express his shock.

“I think I like men, man.” Charlie confessed. 

“You do? How do you know?”

“What do you mean, how do I know? How do you know?”

“Well, because I’ve always- I mean, you said you’ve always-”

“Well yeah, but I’ve always known I liked dudes too,” Charlie mumbled, looking down at their hands. 

“You have?”   
  


“Yeah, I liked one dude my whole life, but I didn’t know that’s what it felt like to like people until I met the waitress, but by then we were too old and he hated gays, ya know? So it wasn’t worth it,” Charlie shrugged.

“And you’re comfortable telling me now because you know I’ll accept you? I’m touched, I-”

“Well I’m telling you ‘cause I maybe would have a chance now that he doesn’t hate gays anymore,” Charlie mumbled. They looked up at Mac and shrugged, “Ya know. Like if I weren’t so weird, maybe I’d have a chance with you, ya know?”

“Wait! Me? I’m the guy! Your whole life? Are you shitting me Charlie?”

“Whatever, forget I even-” Charlie was gesturing wildly with a wet bar towel, but Mac interrupted them.

“No Charlie, that was sweet, shit, really man, thanks for telling me. That was ballsy.”

“Really?” Charlie asked, not even trying to hide the proud smile already forming.

“Yeah, man, totally badass. I like that, that’s cool.”

“Does that mean-” Charlie asked, cutting themself off with a gulp.

“I mean, like, what would we even, to like, if I do, we can’t change everything….” Mac’s words were disjointed and he gave Charlie a confused look.

“We don’t have to change everything,” Charlie interrupted. “What if we just… keep doing everything the same? But like when we’re alone like now, we can just like do whatever people who are dating do.”

“Like fuck?”

“Well sure, if we want. And hold hands, and kiss if you  _ really  _ want. Or we could just like watch movies or whatever gay shit couples do, I don’t know.” 

“Oh…” Mac hummed. “And everything else is normal? We don’t tell our friends, we both live at our own places?”

“Yeah, I mean, unless you wanna do sleepovers sometimes, but we’ll like pretend we’re doing it like pals, not like dating.”

“Oh….Okay….” Mac said, nodding with a grin. “Cool, so like, wanna be boyfriends, or partners or whatever?”

Charlie lifted their beer bottle towards Mac, waiting for Mac to clink their bottles together. When he did, Charlie echoed, “Yeah, let’s be partners or whatever.”

And then Charlie went back to wiping out the gross, squishy brown goo puddle at the bottom of the beer cooler, caused by years worth of accumulated beer and liquor spills. While they were cleaning, they asked Mac a question about genetic mutations via mold.

Then they got into a lighthearted debate about superhumans and toxic runoff, debating heartily until Frank rejoined their conversation. The three of them engaged in a crazy scheme for the rest of the day. Instead of going home with Frank, Charlie went to Mac’s place for pizza.

Dennis wasn’t home, so they watched a movie in the living room. They held hands halfway through the movie; Mac didn’t even yell at Charlie for how greasy their hands were. After the movie, they fell asleep in bed together, Charlie’s arms wrapped tightly around Mac, who had his head against Charlie’s chest. 

Everybody else found out within two days. 


End file.
